Burns Talk - Rashmi Parikh

Grady College presented Rebecca Burns, recently appointed Director of digital strategy at Emmis Publications, who spoke to students on a topic which was entitled Paper, Pixels, and iPads: Rethinking Magazines.

Burns spoke briefly about her background in the industry: editor and later editor-in-chief for Atlanta Magazine, editor of Indianapolis Magazine,Interactive Director and Digital Strategy Director for Atlanta Magazine,as well as author of three books.

Burns explained how Atlanta Magazine and Emmis publications still adhere to the standard magazine format, being one of few magazines that still publish 9,000-10,000 long-form articles. They also publish narratives, features and investigative reports as well.

Burns then talked about where their roots were as far as digital concepts were concerned. Atlanta Magazine had a website, however, there web-presence was inconsistent. Their resources and expertise in this field was limited. Whatever work they did do online did not illustrate their editorial excellence.

Burns personally took the lead on making improvements on their digital weak points. Her strategy was to begin with the overall look of the websites. Once the websites were up to standard, they focused the magazine's strengths. They did not want to t fall into the trap newspapers fell into by offering all of their services and information online for free. They would offer particulars online (e.g. restaurant information) and the rest the reader would have to refer to the actual magazine for. The third thing they did was to offer online only content. This added to the number of visitors to the website and did not lower their readership.

My takeaways: creativity and foresight can help a sinking ship stay afloat. Although print maybe disappearing slowly, readership will not. People will always want to read. We must find ways to publish on new mediums.

Olivia Batty - Paper, Pixels, and Ipads Blog Response

Rebecca Burns spoke Tuesday in the Drewry room of Grady College.

Her impressive resume includes editor, historian, author, and now Director of Digital Strategy. Burns began her lecture by describing the ways in which magazines are different than other print mediums. She said that the below list depicts the major characteristics of magazines:
- long form fiction stories
- investigative reporting with high standards for fact checking
- great photographs/design/illustrations
- lifestyle stories (especially food)
- narrative stories
- service journalism (stories about education, doctors, etc.)

Burns essentially created her own position at Atlanta magazine because the website for the magazine was in such bad shape that it needed a complete overhaul. Burns signed herself up for the job.

The major issue was that the web content of the online site did not match up to the magazine. It featured random blogs and a design that did not reflect the magazine's style. With hardly any technical expertise, Burns managed to place herself in the readers' position and redesign the whole web layout.

She began by thinking about how to supplement the articles in the magazines instead of just reiterating the content of the magazine or adding random gimmicks. The point of online content is to include interactive elements that draw in the reader and get them involved with the magazine in between issues. This way, they stay tied to the magazine and the brand even when a monthly issue has not been recently released.

Burns did this by adding an easy to use search system and guides on the website, web content that reiterated the strengths of the magazine, blogs that addressed a few central ideas instead of random subjects with few followers, a better understanding of each city the magazine represented, newsletters that offered teasers for the upcoming issues and supplementary content to the articles (Burns and her colleagues planned that these newsletters would eventually turn into "apps" for iphones.)

By transferring the newsletters to ipads, one can still get the effect of the images produced in a magazine while adding page buttons to the screen and making links to the articles that are easy to send to people and share with friends and relatives. Other interactive elements included slideshows and audio such as interviews with radio hosts.

The lecture was informative about the ways that the internet and web design has made certain jobs in the magazine business obsolete while introducing others that have never existed before.

32nd McGill Lecture Live Coverage

UGA Fights Against Cancer

By Joe Willeford

On Friday, hundreds of people came together at the University of Georgia to unite as a community in the fight against cancer. Relay for Life, created by the American Cancer Society, is an annual event to raise money for cancer research, spread cancer awareness, celebrate the lives of survivors, and remember those who lost their lives to cancer.

This year, it took place at the UGA Track on Lumpkin Street. People of all ages, sexes and races came together in a display of solidarity.

“The power of community is truly amazing, and it is absolutely on display here tonight,” said Christine Santayana, a sophomore from Virginia.

This year’s Relay for Life was the biggest ever since its creation in 1999 - but this could not have been possible without the help of many individuals and groups throughout Athens.

Lo Asidro, a senior from LaGrange, Ga. is a member of the “spirit committee.” For an event like Relay that lasts all night, from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m., it is a hard job keeping people motivated and spirits high. “Our aim is to make sure that everyone stays awake, stays excited,” said Asidro.

Groups such as Asidro’s spirit committee have been meeting for months to prepare for the overnight event. Fraternities, sororities, clubs, businesses, and other organizations throughout Athens donate money, assist with organizing the event and encourage others to join in their efforts.

There is definitely no lack of enthusiasm for Relay for Life at UGA.

Kevin Madsen, a freshman at Washington University in St. Louis, is a member of the American Cancer Society’s collegiate scout team. He visits and observes Relays across the nation to see what works especially well and what needs improvement. In his opinion, the Relay at UGA is one of the best in the nation.

“It amazes me the energy this campus has for Relay. Just being here, it’s really empowering.”

High levels of emotion were present everywhere Friday. Surrounding the track were candles, each representing a loved one who had lost the fight with cancer.

“The [candle] ceremony was a very powerful thing, to see all these people come together and honor those who have fought – and lost to – cancer,” reflected Madsen. The sheer number of candles surrounding the track at UGA was a small testament to the devastation cancer causes.

As Asidro said, “It’s rare to find someone who doesn’t know someone that has been affected by cancer.”

Having the support of family and friends is crucial to one’s fight against cancer, a point that was made throughout the night. Kaylea Notarthomas, a junior from Atlanta, spoke about her experience with thyroid cancer. “All the support I had on the journey far outweighed the negatives,” she said. “I couldn’t have done any of it without my support system.”

Melissa Baxter, a sophomore from Tipton, Ga., is also a cancer survivor. “Relay is a very special night for me and my family,” said Baxter. Her favorite part of the night is the survivor lap, when survivors of cancer walk a lap around the track, surrounded by cheering supporters.

“The survivor lap is a time when all the people who supported you for so long can come out and show you just how much your battle means to them.”

Libby Cordell, team leader for the sorority Alpha Delta Pi, saw the effects of cancer first-hand when one of her best friends, Caelyn Brady, was diagnosed with cancer their junior year of high school. “It opened my eyes,” said Cordell. “Caelyn doesn’t talk or complain much, but when she told me what she was going through, I felt like I needed to do something.”

In college, Cordell was immediately drawn to Relay for Life. At first, she didn’t know what to expect from the event, but quickly found out. “Once I was there, I loved it,” said Cordell. “It was such a great experience for me that it just made me want to do anything I could to make it better next year.”

With continued effort and participation, the sky is the limit for Relay for Life. This year’s event featured the most participants in its history – and also raised the most money with a little over $306,000. For more information on Relay for Life at UGA go to ugarelay.org

There's Just Something About Sport

“There’s just something about sport.” This line was the mantra of Dr. Richard Lapchick’s speech to a group of roughly 50 interested UGA students, professors, and fans Tuesday, April 20. The College of Education’s Department of Kinesiology welcomed Dr. Lapchick as part of the 2010 Clifford Lewis Scholar Lecture series. The audience sat at rapt attention as they listened to Dr. Lapchick, who has been nicknamed the “racial consciousness of sports”, discuss his experiences and lifelong efforts to combat racism within sports.

“My journey on the issue of race and sport started when I was five years old,” said Lapchick, the current Director of the University of Central Florida’s DeVos Sport Business Management Program and frequent ESPN contributing reporter. “There’s something about sports that makes us different.”

Lapchick is the son of the legendary Joe Lapchick, the Original Celtics center and later coach of the New York Knicks. Lapchick explained how his first exposure to the hate of racism centered on his father. Joe Lapchick, then the coach of the New York Knicks, signed the NBA’s first African-American, Nat “Sweetwater” Clifton, in 1950. Lapchick recalls his five0year-old self picking up the phone on numberous occasions only to hear “nigger lover, nigger lover” in reference to his father. But his passion for civil rights truly ignited after a visit to a German concentration camp as part of a European trip to the 1960 Olympic Games. “Seeing what people would do to each other for differences in race and religion made basketball seem a little less important for the rest of my life,” muses Lapchick. Yet, once he got to Rome for the Olympics, he remembers the exhilarating feeling of seeing people of all different races, religions, ethnicities, nationalities, and cultures coming together peacefully to participate in the international games. “Sports bring people together in ways other things don’t,” he said with a smile.

Lapchick’s passion for sports runs deeper than just love for the game or a rooted family history: it’s the colorblind unity of sports that breaks down discriminating barriers. He shared with his audience his favorite part of sports: the huddle. “In the huddle,” he said, “when you’re a member of the team, it doesn't matter if you’re white, black, Latino, Catholic, you can’t win if you don’t act like a team.” He went on to talk about the renewing power of sports through the scheduled baseball game on the first Friday after the Virigina Tech shootings of 2007. “[Initially] The president [of Virginia Tech] got a lot of criticism for that [allowing the game to go on] but he knew something,” said Lapchick, going on to explain how the usually modestly attended baseball game was packed with over 1,000 fans. Lapchick praised the event, and how sports had the power to unite and heal a damaged community. “When they got there, life suddenly had renewal.”

Lapchick went on to encourage students to pick up the torch left to them by past generations and continue to promote equality in sports and the nation as a whole. “This generation is partially in control of sports. Many [student athletes] athletes are very community and religiously centered and they’re giving back to their communities in a variety of ways. Athletes really rallied to help the city of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina.”

“You never just change one person,” he says, a lesson to remember.

Something about sports.

“There is something about sports.” So went Richard Lapchick’s message to a group of over 100 people at the Georgia Center’s Master Hall on Tuesday, April 20. The words served as a sort of theme or motto for his lecture. “You can’t win if you don’t play as a team,” he said. “Imagine if you could project that concept of the huddle to [everything else].”

Richard Lapchick was tabbed to give the 2010 Clifford Lewis Scholar Lecture, an event sponsored by the UGA College of Education’s department of kinesiology. The lecture, in honor of the late associate dean and physical education professor Clifford Lewis, focused on two subjects of Lapchick’s expertise: race and sport.

From the segregation of basketball players in the mid-twentieth century to the current discrepancies of race in sports management, Lapchick, an author, professor, and racial pioneer, talked about how he has seen sports change in his lifetime. The son of former Boston Celtics basketball player and New York Knicks coach Joe Lapchick, the younger Lapchick spent his whole life immersed in sports and racial inequality.

As a child, Lapchick saw his father berated by racists for signing Nathaniel “Sweetwater” Clifton, the NBA’s first African American signee. Years later, Lapchick would face a public, racial fight of his own. In 1978, the civil rights activist helped to lead a sports boycott of South Africa. While protesting the country’s Davis Cup team’s scheduled game in Tennessee, Lapchick was severely beaten and cut for his cause.

22-year-old University of Georgia student Josh Patterson said it was easy to see why Lapchick was chosen to give this year’s Clifford Lewis Scholar Lecture: “I am excited to hear about what he has to say about sports being a common ground between races because I feel like athletes have potential to do a lot of good for race relations.”

Lapchick began his lecture, titled “Sport: A Bridge Across the Racial Divide,” by congratulating the University of Georgia for hiring the first African American athletic director in the Southeastern Conference, adding, “Hopefully that change is not reversible.”

His opening gave the audience an idea as to what the rest of Lapchick’s lecture would entail: a frank discussion of race, sports, responsibility, and accountability.

Having paid for his cause in blood before, Lapchick provided the students and faculty on hand with a rare commitment towards both sports and race. From Eddie Robinson to the Virginia Tech campus shootings to the New Orleans Saints winning the recent Super Bowl, Lapchick touched on situation after situation in which sports helped to bring a community back together, despite differences in race, religion, gender, and socioeconomic class.

Lapchick, who started the nationally ranked DeVos Sport Business Management Program at the University of Central Florida, also spoke of the importance of leadership and standing up for justice, a principle he believed could slowly change the world.

“You never change just one person’s life. It’s a circle of growth… That’s the power we all have,” he said, pausing before adding, “If we use it.”

If he did nothing else in his lecture, Lapchick at least left his audience wondering one thing: “Maybe there really is something about sports.”

Speech at UGA Article

By: Brooke McMillan

“What will you have done to make people want to come say thank you?” asked Richard Lapchick who spoke to a combination of students and fans on April 20 at the 2010 Clifford Lewis Scholar Lecture. The lecture was sponsored by the College of Education's Department of Kinesiology at UGA. A crowd of about 60 sat and listened closely as Lapchick passionately spoke about his experiences and efforts to decrease racism specifically in the sports arena.

Lapchick received his Bachelor of Arts in 1967 from St. John’s University and his doctorate in international race relations from University of Denver in 1973. He is credited with writing more than 450 articles over the years and continues to write for companies such as ESPN. Lapchick has delivered more than 2700 speeches in his lifetime thus far. Many awards and honors have come his way over the years, and in 1994 he was specially invited to Nelson Mandela’s inauguration.

Throughout his captivating lecture, Lapchick constantly inserted the phrase “there’s something about sport,” stressing the great impact sports have on people. As the son of famous Celtic player and recognized basketball coach, Joe Lapchick, young Lapchick felt the expectation to grow up and play basketball. He attended basketball camp in Europe at the age of 14 where he experienced his first exposal to race and racism. Ever since, he has made large efforts to decrease racism.

Through his father, Lapchick learned that racism was a huge issue in sports. His father experienced non-integrated basketball teams, and learned about racism through watching sports. Once Richard Lapchick viewed racism in his generation, it was apparent that integration in the coaching position was very hard to achieve. Lapchick seemed very excited to deliver his speech at the University of Georgia boasting the fact that “Georgia had the guts to hire the first African American athletic director in the SEC.”

Lapchick focused largely on those who influenced his life, and those he has been exposed to while on his journey through life. He emphasized the great impact sports have on people’s life such as the Saints win after the devastation Louisiana experienced due to hurricane Katrina. Lapchick was raised to hate the New York Yankees. Even so, he rooted for the New York Yankees to win the World Series after the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, destroyed much of the state and the hearts of many people.

The importance of change was expressed through the words of Lapchick. He is a man who adovocates change, and the belief that people have the capacity to influence those who continue hate crimes across the world. The audience nodded their heads in agreeance with Lapchick as he expressed the need for change. He said “the reason I wanted to be here today is because you can be difference makers,” leaving his listeners to think about how influential each person can be in the world.

Study of sports race relations leader speaks to University students

By Mitch Blomert

A national leader for the study of race relations in sports spoke at the University of Georgia Wednesday, encouraging students to be the difference-maker in the eradication of racism in the nation.

Dr. Richard Lapchick, director of the DeVos Sport Business Management Program at the University of Central Florida, discussed the history and solutions to racism in sports and in general life as part of the 2010 Clifford Lewis Lecture titled “Sport: A Bridge Across the Racial Divide,” at Masters Hall in the Georgia Center.

Lapchick, son of Boston Celtics center and former New York Knicks head coach Joe Lapchick, discussed the race issues his father faced as a National Basketball Association Coach, then the hatred he received himself when he became the American leader of a sports boycott in South Africa during apartheid.

Lapchick also explained how sports acted as a commonplace of people, where racism and hatred often subsided in favor of competition, as it did at a Virginia Tech baseball game following the shootings that killed 32 people on campus in 2007 and in February’s Super Bowl XLIV, which “elevated spirits like nothing else possibly could.”

“Something about sport makes it different,” Lapchick said.

Lapchick emphasized that the current generation of college students are tomorrow’s leaders, and can continue the stand against racism that Lapchick and his father started in sports.

“My father’s generation developed integration of basketball,” he said. “You can be the difference. That’s why I started to talk to student audiences—about passing the torch to you.”

Lapchick also recollected his time with long-time Grambling State University football coach Eddie Robinson, whom he co-wrote the book Never Before, Never Again with in 1999. He described Robinson and highly influential in integrating sports by display kind acts to his wife in front of his players.

“He always had dinner with his wife and held her hand, which he showed to his players,” Lapchick said.

When Lapchick isn’t speaking the colleges across the country or managing the DeVos Sport Business Management Program at Central Florida, he is also part of the Hope For Stanley Foundation, which promotes diversity and ethics in sports and releases an annual report card that tracks the long-term trends of diversity in coach and management.

Lapchick stated that current racial statistics among NCAA Division-I coaches is 91-percent white among men’s sports and 90-percent among women’s sports. However, he also noted that the Georgia is the first school to hire a black Athletic Director when they appointed Damon Evans to the position in 2003.

Lapchick, who received his Ph.D. in international race relations from the University of Denver in 1973, also founded the Center for the Study of Sport in Society at Northeastern University in 1984. He is also a frequent columnist for ESPN.com and the Orlando Sentinel, with over 500 columns published. He is also one of only 200 guests to former South African president Nelson Mandela’s inauguration in 1994.

There’s Something About Sports. - Holly Hess

Like any other dreary day in Athens, students walked about campus covered in rain coats and boasting their umbrellas. UGA’s Georgia Center was unusually crowded with students in the lobby, all drifting towards the tables of exquisitely prepared free food. Comments of approval could be heard pertaining to the teriyaki chicken and freshly made fruit punch. Students of all types gathered at 4 p.m. to hear a lecture titled: 'Sport: A Bridge Across the Racial Divide.’ As part of the Clifford Lewis Lecture series, Dr. Richard Lapchick came to share his expertise on sports issue sand racial inequalities within sports. Brendan Cosgrove, a junior broadcast news major commented on the issue at hand: “I’m fascinated by the racial dynamics in sports, especially the NBA. I’m interested to see what a professional’s take on the situation is.”
“Nigger lover, nigger lover” were some of the first words Lapchick heard describing his dad when he was only five years old. This was about the same time his love of basketball took hold. In 1950, Lapchick’s father, coach of the New York Knicks, signed three African -American players to his team making them the first team to sign athletes of color. After this incident, Lapchick moved with his mother and sister to Europe for a few years where they visited a Nazi concentration camp, a crucial point in his life. Somberly recalling that time, he mentioned, “I was never the same.” After seeing the cruelty of human kind, he went to Rome and saw how people from all over the world would join together because of one thing- sports. Lapchick quickly realized the avenue he needed to go through to bring all walks of life together. Instead of pursuing his love for basketball as a player, he became an expert on sports issues and a pioneer for racial equality through the use of sports.
“Everyone has a problem you don’t know about” is how he explained many of the tragedies mentioned. He took the audience back to a time in his daughter’s life when tragic incidents were happening daily. A close friend to the Lapchick’s family tied his own two kids to the car seat and waited to pull onto the interstate until a tractor-trailer came, ultimately killing himself and his own two children. Paired with this was a classmate’s suicide, a teacher’s death, an attempted murder, and a close friend’s father committing suicide into oncoming traffic. Not to mention the beginning of the week when his daughter was almost kidnapped by a naked man in a car. The crowd was heavy and somber after all of these horrible stories. But Lapchick’s point was simply this: there’s always going to be bad in the world. Everyone has power to influence, but how will we choose to use it?
Speaking as a writer for ESPN.com, creator of the DeVos Sport Business Management Program at the University of Central Florida and the founder of the Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport, Lapchick provided the audience hard evidence of white dominance behind the African-American athletes in the NBA. An astounding 91 percent of Division 1 basketball coaches are Caucasian males. Dissecting the different percentages between Caucasian and African-American coaches as well as the male to female coaches was mind boggling. Lapchick’s passion for finding equality in all areas of life was obvious.
“There’s something about sports” was repeated many times by Lapchick. He also made it clear many good people out there are doing things to help the world, specifically with regards to racial equality. However, he charged the students with, “Will it end, how will it end, and if it’s gonna end, what are you gonna do to help it?” Upon concluding his insight and opinions about racial discrimination, the audience appeared supportive of Lapchick’s lecture by giving him a warm, closing applause.

Speech at UGA article by Jonathan Shealy

“There’s something about sport.” This was a phrase continually reiterated by Richard Lapchick, the keynote speaker at the 2010 Clifford Lewis Scholar Lecture, sponsored by the Department of Kinesiology at UGA. It showed his passion for sports was almost as strong as his passion for trying to bring about racial equality. A mix of Sports Business and Journalism majors, as well as many other interested students came together on April 20 at the Georgia Center on a rainy afternoon to listen to one of the most influential voices on race issues in sports over the last few decades.

Lapchick is the creator of the DeVos Sport Business Management Program at the University of Central Florida, founder of the Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport, and writer for ESPN.com. He has become well known for his efforts in promoting racial equality, especially in opposing the South African apartheid through a sports boycott. In a video shown as an introduction to the speech former Bengals Linebacker Reggie Williams said that Lapchick “put his life on the line for causes, that quite honestly, affect others more than himself.” This is literally true as he was once attacked by two masked men for opposing South Africa’s participation in the Davis Cup due to apartheid.

Lapchick’s lecture, entitled “Sport: a bridge across the Racial Divide”, began as he expressed his appreciation for Georgia and its athletic program, especially for hiring an African American athletic director, Damon Evans, which according to some statistics he would later read, is a rarity in the NCAA, where 93 percent of athletic directors in Division I are white.

“There’s something about sport that makes us different from others in regular life”, Lapchick mused. Lapchick, though white, experienced racial discrimination at an early age, as his father, then the coach of the New York Knicks, received criticism and threats for signing Nat Clifton, the first African American to sign an NBA contract. When he was older he attended a basketball camp where the one black player received so much racial hatred from one of the white players that Lapchick stood up for him and promptly got knocked out. That player was Lewis Alcindor, Jr, or as he is now more commonly known as Kareem Abdul-Jabaar, the NBA’s all time leading scorer.

Lapchick realized that the arena of sports was a great equalizer between races and provided a powerful avenue for making a statement. “In that huddle, you’re part of a team, it doesn’t matter if you’re white, black, protestant, muslim, catholic, young, old, gay, straight, male female, you can’t win if you don’t work together.”

The sports boycott of South Africa proved more effective than boycotts of oil or other goods because as Lapchick put it, “you can smuggle in oil and all that other stuff, but you can’t play sports in the dark”. Lapchick was one of a select number of people invited to Nelson Mandela’s inauguration for his efforts and he said that Mandela later told him that one of the reasons he was eager to come back was bring sports back to his country.

Lapchick’s main goal, however, was to motivate his audience to take a stand against racial injustice today. He said that while the players are now equal, those running and covering sports is still vastly skewed. Lapchick read some recent statistics that said that 95 percent of sports editors and 87 percent of reporters are white, as well as 91 percent of Division I coaches, and 9 percent of hate crimes occur on college campuses.

Lapchick said his focus has changed to passing the torch to a new generation, which is why he speaks to college students. He continued to speak on how even something as simple as just trying to see how those around us may be in need of help; “everybody has a problem that you don’t know about”. As he concluded he implored the new generation of students to rise up and take a stand: “the definition of a leader is someone who stands up for justice and doesn’t stand in its path.” He received a round of applause as he finished and everyone in the audience seemed supportive of his efforts.

Speech Story Nancy Hanger

“The government doesn’t care if you get high,” say High Times editor-in-chief Steve Hager, “half the country takes pills as it is. They do have a problem though, cause I if hand you a marijuana seed, I am handing you medicine for the rest of your life.”

“Any doctor that tells you to smoke something because it’s good for you is a damn fool!” retaliates Robert Stutman, a former Drug Enforcement Administration agent in the New York City office, in last night’s heated debate.

Yesterday evening, April 19, 2010, the University Union and the Ideas and Issues Committee at the University of Georgia sponsored the “Heads vs. Feds Debate: The Debate to Legalize Marijuana.”

Representing the Heads was Steve Hager, the editor-in-chief of High Times Magazine or as the introductory video named him “the most famous pot head.” He is also the founder of the Counterculture Hall of Fame and the celebrated Cannabis Cup in Amsterdam. Robert Stutman, a retired special agent for the DEA and a leading advocate in drug prevention and education, spoke for the Feds.

The doors to the Tate Student Theater opened at 7 p.m., but that was hardly enough time to file in the 500 plus students waiting and hoping for an available seat in the theater. As the clock slowly ticked toward the big debate, groups of students in tie-dye t-shirts with dreadlocks and beaded jewelry gathered at the back of the ticket line that had wrapped around the entire room.

There was a buzz of excitement in the air as college students decked out in Grateful Dead and Led Zeppelin t-shirts high-fived their friends as they met up in line.

Disappointment hit the huge crowd waiting in line when over 90 students were turned away due to lack of seating in the theater; the turnout was much bigger than expected.

Every single seat in the theater was occupied as the last lucky students marched in to the sound of Bob Marley’s “Exodus.” Two or three students walked up and down the aisles passing out marijuana leaf stickers to the crowd they had brought from home for the much-anticipated occasion.

Hager began the debate with five big reasons to legalize this important part of his culture. He explained that “culture isn’t something you buy in a box or watch on TV, culture is actually the ceremonies you and your tribe create.”

“We must stop funding corruption,” says Hager. “We have built the biggest prison system here in America, the land of the free.” He argues that we are spending billions of dollars putting our youth in cages for something they shouldn’t have been imprisoned for in the first place. “There is a difference between people who use substances and people who abuse. And those people belong in treatment.”

“I mean please people, can we get a little bit of religious freedom?” Hager asks the crowd as a roar of applause and cheers erupts from the admiring students.

Stutman responds, “Most people in favor of marijuana want it legal because it’s their drug of choice and don’t want cops interfering.”

“Marijuana causes dependence. Many people go from having marijuana as part of their life to marijuana becoming their life,” states Stutman, who is aware that almost the entire theater is in favor of legalization. The crowd listens to his arguments and respectfully remains silent for their prominent guest.

Stutman’s most important objection was “if we legalize it, we will have far more users, and then far more alcohol users. They go up together.”

He then challenged the audience that if the entire country agrees and votes for the legalization of cannabis, then it should be legal. “But right now 59% of the American public is against it…. and that is tyranny by majority.”

Throughout the debate, it was clear that both of these speakers had completely opposite views with different backgrounds and experiences. Hager even lightly joked to the audience that the Stutman means well, he just doesn’t understand because he’s never tried it.

The debate eventually boiled down to a question of medicine and a battle of scientific studies collected by each of the speakers.

“Nobody knows anybody who got cancer from marijuana,” claims Hager much to the pleasure of the audience.

While Stutman refers back to his basic rule of litigation, “If the facts are on your side, argue the facts. If the law is on your side, argue the law. And if nothing is on your side, just keep arguing.”

Alison Grimes Speech Story: Heads v. Feds

The day before the commonly known “national smoke weed day” the University of Georgia held a more than entertaining debate about the legalization of marijuana between Robert Stutman, 25-year veteran of the Drug Enforcement Agency, and Steve Hager, editor-in-chief of High Times Magazine.

The debate was properly named “Heads v. Feds,” and the student center theatre was filled with just about 500 tye-dyed-t-shirted frat boys, young gypsies and dread heads. Of course there were also the ever so threatening university police standing outside the entrance just to ensure no supporter or protestor brought an illegal material to demonstrate their stance.

Each speaker was introduced by a short film, which revealed the polarizing opposites the two men posed on this debate. Stutman, an east coast native, explained how he originally planned to study physics, but ended up getting interviewed by the CIA. This later lead him to his position on in the Drug Enforcement Agency and his heavy contribution to the war on drugs; also dubbing him the title of “the most famous nark in America“.

The film also dove into Hager’s background demonstrating how he was a raised in a small town and his California college experience created his foundation of his “own culture.” This self proclaimed culture that Hager has formed is what dubbed him the title of the “most famous pot head in the world.”

In his loose button up purple shirt, his shaggy hair and his baseball cap Hager had the crowd nodding their head and clapping with each claim. Hager’s five reasons for the legalization of marijuana were: 1) It is good medicine 2) Hemp is good for the environment 3) We have built the biggest prison system in the world during his fifty-five year lifetime 4) We have got to stop funding corruption 5) It is part of his culture.

Hager defined his hemp friendly environmental focused culture true American and ended his argument with “Were as American as apple pie and baseball. Can I please get a little freedom of religion?’

“Damn, he is good. I shouldn’t even try,” jokes Stutman as he takes the stand. Stutman takes the mic more than aware the majority of the crowd is opposed to his view, but that did not deter his confidence one bit.

Stutman goes on to attack each of Hager’s claim from the American history aspects that Hager used to show the benefits of hemp to the argument tactic that Hager took. “I bet you never thought you would be clapping for the nark, did ya?” Stutman joked with the crowd.

The former DEA agent got in good with the crowd when he continuously made a point to note that he had many similar views with Hager. One in particular was they both did not agree with the idea of incarcerating people for drugs.

“There are extreme zealots on both sides of this debate. But I will say that I agree with my friend Steve that it is a stupid idea to send people to jail over drug use. For ANY kind of drug use, not just marijuana. It does not help anyone,” preached Stutman.

Stutman did go on to say that, “Claiming that marijuana is part of your religion does not make it right. Do it in the name of religion does not make it right.” Stutman continued his argument with numerous medical claims.

After the two men went back and forth the debate at ended at a clear point that both sides had completely opposite views and they really wanted to prove it was okay to disagree without personally attacking one another. The debate did make it clear that this controversial issue is going to be around for a while.

Atheens Cover it Live Event: Talking Sexuality 2:30 p.m. April 14, 2010

Speech Story by Natalee Cooper

On March 31, 2010 in room 245 of the University of Georgia’s Miller Learning Center a small gathering of students dedicated to the welfare of animals listened with keen interest as Peer Nutrition Educators Priya Patel and Brittany Cox spoke about the alternative for healthy vegan and vegetarian diets and what it means for those who choose that lifestyle, particularly the reduction in the risk for cancer, cardiovascular diseases, obesity, gastrointestinal disorders and diabetes. All of the guests in attendance belong to UGA’s organization Speak Out for Species, an animal advocacy group dedicated to defending animals from cruelty and exploitation.

Peer Nutrition Educators Patel and Cox joined the University of Georgia’s Peer Nutrition Educator Program in the summer of 2010. Like many of the other speeches they’ve conducted since joining, their speech to SOS members focuses on the aspects most vital to a healthy and balanced lifestyle but it is tailored to those who call themselves vegetarian or vegan. SOS faculty advisor Eric Griffin said of their guest speakers, “I think it’s important not only for people to see that being vegetarian and vegan is a healthy option but to also be informed as to how to manage those diets properly and that is why we asked Brittany and Priya here today.”

Cox and Patel’s speech begins with a question not all too unfamiliar to vegetarians and vegans, “How many of you are routinely asked ‘Where do you get your protein?’ Or ‘Don’t you worry about calcium deficiency?’?” Fifteen out of fifteen hands vigorously shoot up, accompanied by eye-rolling and chuckles. “Sadly this is not surprising. We want to help equip you with the correct information about your diets so you can dispel these myths” Patel remarks.

Cox and Patel do address the fact that meatless diets result in the loss of certain vital vitamins and minerals such as vitamin B12, which is almost exclusively found in animal products, but they also explore the alternative means for acquiring those things necessary to a balanced diet. Cox emphasizes, “There are things such as protein and calcium which can be obtained in healthy amounts from sources such as plants but other vitamins and minerals such as B12 and iron can prove more difficult but it is not impossible to find these in sources other than animal products.”

An important fact that the Nutrition Educators relay is that when certain food pairs are consumed together, they will contain the same amino acids, protein, and vitamins found in animals. Patel illustrates this point, “For example, eating beans and rice together will make a complete protein…another item that is not required to be paired with other food sources is nutritional yeast, commonly labeled as Vegetarian Support Formula, which is a source of B12.”Cox and Patel also revealed tips about ways to maintain a diverse meatless diet that will supplement all one’s nutritional needs. Some of those things include eating spaghetti squash instead of refined pasta, consuming whole grains for fiber, eating squash instead of potatoes, and eating lots of leafy green vegetables for calcium.

For more helpful information Cox and Patel suggest sites such as veganhealth.org, vegweb.com, or vegetariantimes.com. To those UGA students who utilize the meal plan they also emphasized contacting Food Services dietitian Katherine Ingerson for any questions about vegetarian and vegan friendly foods included in the meal plan. Another tip Cox and Patel give is to buy local. Patel says, “It is important to support sustainable resources. You can do this by going to the Athens Farmers Market at Bishop Park on Saturdays, the International Farmers Market in Doraville, or by dining at local restaurants that you know buy local.”

SOS co-president Suzie Fatkin says she’s impressed with the wealth of information Cox and Patel have to offer students but she is discouraged by UGA’s lack of vegetarian and vegan dining options. Fatkin explains,” That’s one thing I was really hoping to discuss with our Peer Nutrition Educators, that talking about balanced nutrition isn’t enough. There needs to be a bigger push for vegan and vegetarian options in the university system and unfortunately UGA keeps dropping the ball.”

Karen Handel for Georgia State Governor by Christina Dailey

“Bring It On!” is not only Republican candidate for Georgia State Governor Karen Handel's (http://www.karenhandel.com/site/c.nmL0KhN0LxH/b.5131835/k.5597/Karen_Handel_for_Governor_of_Georgia.htm) campaign slogan, but also her approach at life.

Speaking yesterday evening, April 12, at (http://mlc.uga.edu/) the University of Georgia Zell B. Miller Learning Center to an accommodating crowd of approximately 75 students, Handel gave an informative and intriguing speech on her campaign goals and her background in politics.

After introducing herself and shaking hands with the majority of the room, Handel began her speech with a personal look at her adolescence. Handel’s home life growing up was anything but supportive. She left home at 17 to escape the hostile environment. After staying with friends and graduating from high school, Handel supported herself through night classes at college and entered the job market. Against all odds, Handel worked for some of the most prestigious companies including CIBA Vision (http://www.cibavision.com/favicon.ico) and the accounting firm KPMG (http://www.kpmg.com/favicon.ico).

Through her struggles, she has made creating opportunities to succeed one of her top priorities in her campaign mainly through education. Handel stated that education “needs to be driving our thinking.” She also stated that the teacher to administration ratio needs to be less to include more teachers and have less administration. According to a campaign flier, Handel also wishes to expand the number of charter schools, expand virtual learning, and “embracing our teachers as partners in solving the issues.”

“Furlows (http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_a_furlow_day_in_the_work_place) have to stop,” exclaimed Handel. She feels that they waste money, and reducing is her key stance for the Georgia government. This means a reduction in the state budget. Through the reduction of administrative services and other areas, she plans on saving Georgia taxpayers millions of dollars. “We need to fundamentally change what we’re doing and how we’re doing it.”

Handel claims that she was always a business person first before a politician. Even today, she values the lessons learned and acquired while working at such companies. When she worked as Chairman of the Fulton County Commission, she was well under represented as a Republican. But as she stated before with her “can do” attitude, she rarely lets things get in her way. As former Georgia Secretary of State, she discovered that the finance investor was embezzling copious amounts of money, but managed to keep the organization out of bankruptcy and back on track in a brief 2 years through campaigns and fundraising. Handel was also the CEO of North Fulton Chamber of Commerce. Her involvement in these positions has led many to agree that she is “a strong, passionate, experienced candidate for bettering our state,” according to Matt Baker, the introductory speaker at the event.

Handel would describe her governing style as “extremely open-door.” She stated that being honest and candid are key while the worst in being disingenuous. Communication is also a vital factor in efficient governing. When asked about her leadership style, Handel responded saying, “We have lost sight of problem solving in the state.” She claimed that Georgia needs to change considerably to ensure progress and modification, and she plans to lead the state in doing so.

“The next governor is going to have significant challenges,” proclaimed Handel. She included that Georgia needs a governor “with rock-solid principles” who is “a real leader and a tenacious problem solver.” So, in the words of Republican candidate for Georgia State Governor, “Bring it on!”

Background Behind Yusuf Bey IV

You can't kill a story

McGill Roundtable Introduction

"You can't kill a story by killing a journalist"

On Wednesday, March 24, The Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication welcomed five reporters of the celebrated Chauncey Bailey Project to the McGill Medal Round Table Discussion.

For 75 minutes, Grady’s Drewry room was silent as reporters Bob Butler, Mary Fricker, Thomas Peele, and Josh Richman, along with editor Martin Reynolds, spoke to current and past McGill fellows of their experiences as members of this hard-hitting, unlikely-matched investigative news team that was seeking justice for one of their own. The Chauncey Bailey Project is a collaborative news investigation of the murder of Oakland Post reporter, Chauncey Bailey, on August 2, 2007, in Oakland, California. The goal of the Project, as the five journalists constantly stressed, was to not just report on their peer and friend’s murder, but to finish the work he had started.

“You can’t kill a story by killing a journalist” was the mantra repeated over and over during the discussion, and it is instantly obvious that these reporters really mean what they say. As the conversation progressed, the reporters explained how they had jumped into this project showing relatively no fear or hesitation—as Bob Butler said, their fearless resulted from just being too busy to have the time to sit back and really consider the dangerous situations they were in. Be it a remarkable level of journalistic dedication or a slightly naïve eagerness to tell the story, this attitude undoubtedly seems to have been the thing that spurred their efforts on. If they had not been so free and fearless in their reporting, it is likely that they would not have been able to take the risks needed to capture the story and expose the terrible crimes of the Bey clan.

The four reporters of The Chauncey Bailey Project were invited as the honored guests to the McGill Medal Round Table Discussion to impart wisdom about journalistic courage. The group received the 2010 McGill Medal for Journalistic Courage in a ceremony later that evening. The award is awarded annually to “working U.S. journalists whose careers have exemplified journalistic courage.”

'You Can't Kill a Story by Killing a Journalist,' Two-Year Award-Winning Reporting Project Demonstrates

John Greenman (l), Carter Professor of Journalism, talks with slain journalist Chauncey Bailey's sister, Lorelei Waqia. Greenman oversees the McGill Medal for Journalistic Courage, which was awarded Wednesday to a team of four journalists who produced The Chauncey Bailey Project.

By Melanie Turner

On Aug. 2, 2007, Chauncey Bailey was shot down while walking home from his job at the Oakland Post, in Oakland, California. A little over two years later, four of the reporters that finished the story he had been writing sat around the conference table describing their experiences with the Chauncey Bailey Project in the Drewry Reading Room of UGA’s Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication. The Project received the McGill Medal for Journalist Courage on March 23 from the McGill Fellows. These journalists were selected because of their involvement with research that exposed the corruption in the Oakland Police Department and the Your Black Muslim Bakery, the organization connected with Bailey’s murder.

The project started a couple weeks after Bailey’s death with the help of about three-dozen volunteer reporters, editors and community members who’s goal it was to finish what Bailey started and to prove the project’s mantra, “You can’t kill a story by killing a Journalist”. The dozens of volunteers spent about two years in all, pouring through police reports, public documents and talking to sources. During this time, they wrote over a 100 stories about the murder, Bailey’s assassin and the police department’s failure to pursue the case. The four reporters, Thomas Peele, Josh Richman, Mary Fricker and Bob Butler, stressed that the key to their reporting was their use of public documents. Through these documents, they found mountains of evidence and verified information from sources. The documents, mostly untouched by local police detectives, revealed multiple types of fraud, the use of child labor and polygamy.

The four also emphasized that courage is necessary to reporting, not just for instances like the Chauncey Bailey Project, but for pursuing any difficult lead in a story. Mike Oliver, another project member, summed up their opinion. “A good journalist is one that won’t be intimidated, that won’t take no when they believe that the information should be made public.” They discussed how, without courage, they would not have been able to pursue leads with members of Your Black Muslim Bakery, and police department. This courage opened the doors for the Bakery and its members to be convicted of their crimes and the Oakland Police Department to reform their homicide department.

Although they never expected their work to last more than eight months, the journalists also never expected to discover the numerous stories they did. They took the years of dedication and the long hours the project required in stride and believe that it was the only way to honor Bailey’s life and work. “We simply did what we had to do after a friend and colleague was slain for his work. If a story dies along with the journalist, the journalist died in vain; letting that happen was never an option.” Richman said according to the Chauncey Bailey Project website. The journalists succeeded at just that, the memory of Bailey’s courage never died, it lives still today in the stories and hearts he impacted.

The McGill Medal Bios

Josh Richman is a father of one from Queens, N.Y. As an active journalist of 18 years he currently works for the The Oakland Tribune/Bay Area News Group in California. Richman received his Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from University of Missouri while also studying a minor in political science. He began work for the Oakland Tribune in 1997. He has achieved many accomplishments throughout his journalistic career, but considers the Chauncey Bailey Project the biggest story he has covered. Richman’s most memorable work includes stories arising from terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. He also recognizes a story he covered on Oakland Police Department’s reaction to antiwar protestors in 2003, which won awards.

Like Richman, Bob Butler also recognizes the Chauncey Bailey Project as the highlight of his career. Although the project has received The McGill Medal for Journalistic Courage, among other awards, Butler makes it clear that his satisfaction comes from the fact that criminals were indicted in the case. Butler has been in broadcast reporting for 31 years. As a native of Chelsea, Mass. Butler describes himself as a navy brat who finally settled in the Bay area of San Francisco when he landed a job with KCBS. He received his Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from San Francisco State and continues to work independently in the field.

McGill Medal recipients discuss investigative journalism

By Mitch Blomert

The Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Georgia welcomed five members of an award-winning investigative reporting project at the McGill Medal Round Table Discussion on Wednesday in Grady College’s Drewry Room.

The five journalists, from various publications based in the California Bay Area, discussed their responsibilities and duties in the Chauncey Bailey Project, an investigative report surrounding the death of the former Oakland Tribune reporter and Oakland Post editor-in-chief the project is named after.

The two-year project has won numerous awards for its influence on investigative journalism, including Best Practices Award from the National Association of Black Journalists, as well as the Knight Public Service Award and Investigative Journalism Award in the Small Site Category by the Online News Association.

The project has also been recognized by Columbia University and now the University of Georgia, who awarded the journalists with McGill Medals for Journalistic Courage following the discussion.

“It’s very flattering and very surreal just to be invited to this,” said Josh Richman, a reporter with the Bay Area News Group and a member of the project.

Richman was joined by fellow Bay Area News Group reporter Thomas Peele and project editor Mike Oliver, as well as independent journalists Bob Butler and Mary Fricker.

The journalists were asked questions by McGill fellows, made up of University of Georgia undergraduate and graduate Journalism students, as well as Grady College faculty. Bailey’s sister, Lorelei Waqia, and her son, Nasim Tindall, also attended the discussion.

The project, formed in 2007 following Bailey’s death, investigated the reasons for his murder, which subsequently uncovered an organized crime service being operated through an Oakland bakery. The murderer, Devaughndre Broussard, was found guilty of murder through the journalists’ evidence.

“We believe that our reporting resulting in indictment,” Butler said. “It reaffirmed belief and really educated people about investigative reporting.”

Loreli Waqia (l), sister of murdered journalist Chauncey Bailey, chats with McGill Fellow Devora Olin. Olin, a master's student in the Grady College, researched the nomination of the four journalists whose reporting on The Chauncey Bailey Project earned them the McGill Medal for Journalistic Courage.

McGill Medal Awarded to Thomas Peele and Mary Fricker

A ceremony was held Wednesday, March 24 for the McGill Medal awarded to four journalists who worked on the Chauncey Bailey Project. They were honored for their "journalistic courage." Two of the journalists were Thomas Peele and Mary Fricker.

Thomas Peele is a native of New York and now resides in California. He currently works for The Oakland Tribune/Bay Area News Group. Peele attended Long Island University and received his MFA in writing from the University of San Francisco. Peele has worked in several states across the nation and has over 20 years of experience. In those 20 years, Peele has accumulated a number of awards for his journalistic accomplishments. Some of these include 4 national reporting awards, the 2007 Investigative Reporters and Editors' Renner Award for his work in the Chauncey Bailey Project, and now the McGill Medal for Journalistic Courage. He still claims that his most difficult, interesting and important case was the Chauncey Bailey Project due to the large amount of flawed information and police evidence that he and his team were able to untangle and ultimately solve a mystery and a murder.

The second medal recipient is Mary Fricker. Fricker is a California native. She was an independent reporter retiring in 2006 from the Santa Rosa Press Democrat where she covered business. She wrote a New York Times best-selling book Inside Job: The Looting of America's Savings and Loans. Other accomplishments include the UCLA Gerald Loeb Award, the George Polk Award and now the McGill Medal for Journalistic Courage. Her intense passion for reporting is evident in the fact that she came out of retirement to volunteer countless hours of her time to the Chauncey Bailey Project.

Both Fricker's and Peele's efforts were greatly influential in the Chauncey Bailey Project and its success.

McGill Medal Table Discussion

One Step Closer to a Cure for Type I Diabetes

The 300-person auditorium was nearly filled to capacity. Students, educators and professional biologists listened intently, so silent you could hear a pin drop. World-renowned Harvard professor Douglas Melton, Ph.D., emphasized the importance of research on cell development in order to use stem cells to create a pancreas and recreate human diabetes. “If you watch something develop, it’s very informative of what goes wrong,” he said in his lecture on Tuesday, March 23, part of the Hope Ritter lecture series offered by the UGA Department of Cellular Biology.

Melton, who established his own laboratory at Harvard and conducts research for the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, became motivated to find a cure for Type I diabetes after two of his children were diagnosed with the autoimmune disease. He has twice been listed as one of the 100 most influential people in the world by TIME magazine and for good reason. His research primarily focuses on ways to make insulin-producing cells, otherwise known as pancreatic beta (b) cells, which Type I diabetics do not have. He cited a statistic that made clear why his research is so important: 0.5 percent of newborns in the United States will be fully insulin-dependent by age 18.

Melton wasted no time delving into the lecture. “I’m going to give you an intro to the pancreas – just for fun,” he said. Snickers echoed throughout the audience as he described early thought on pancreatic function. Scientists in the 16^th century believed the pancreas functioned solely as a cushion for other internal organs such as the stomach. Just 100 years later, scientists knew that pancreatic enzymes were involved in digestion. Today, researchers have divided the pancreas into two main components – exocrine cells and the islets of Langerhans.

The pancreatic beta cells that Melton’s research focuses on are located within the islets of Langerhans. He said that there are two main problems that need to be resolved. There is a loss of beta cells, so researchers must figure out how to make more of them. Researchers must also figure out how to stop the body’s immune system from attacking and killing its own beta cells.

How do scientists create more beta cells? “We should plan for success and try to do this in a way that is clinically relevant by using chemicals that tell cells what to do,” said Melton. The process of creating beta cells began by determining which genes were turned on or off during different stages of cell development. By manipulating these genes with chemicals in a lab, Melton has successfully differentiated cells to create definitive pancreatic cells.

Melton believes that within five years, scientists will have the capability to make “buckets” of any kind of cell. “The nucleus in these cells still has the capacity to go back to the beginning. You can erase it, in a sense, and let it start over,” he said. Using this concept, Melton has been able to “reprogram” pancreatic exocrine cells into expressing genes that are essential in beta cell functioning. These new insulin-producing cells closely resemble beta cells, and insulin expression remains strong and permanent over time. The process is fast and efficient – it takes only three days, and fully 20% of the reprogrammed cells become beta cells.

What does this mean for diabetics? This is when Melton addressed the second problem – how to stop the immune system from attacking beta cells. The body can only make new beta cells by replication. All new beta cells must come from preexisting beta cells, so a Type I diabetic has lost all capability to create new beta cells. The entire audience laughed as Melton “quoted” what the body of a diabetic would say if simply injected with new beta cells. “Thanks! I recognize those cells. I’ve been killing them for a long time. I’m going to keep killing them!”

A major key, then, to cracking the code on Type I diabetes is figuring out why the immune system does not recognize the pancreas as “self” but rather treats it as an invader and tries to kill it. Melton next plans are to study the development of diabetes in mice. These mice are genetically modified so that the cells and tissues are actually human in nature. In this manner, Melton and his research team can find out which type of cell affects the onset of diabetes and how many different ways there are to develop the disease. “If that doesn’t work, I really don’t know what I’ll do,” he said.

Perhaps most relevant to diabetic patients today is finding out what triggers beta cells to divide, however. Melton cited an experiment in which a mouse cured itself of diabetes after having most of its beta cells killed in a laboratory setting. The residual beta cells boosted replication so that the mouse could cure itself.

“We’re very keen on finding signals for beta cell replication that could be useful in newly onset diabetes to boost replication and increase tolerance,” said Melton. Recently diagnosed diabetics often experience a “honeymoon period” in which the body still retains some capability to produce insulin before all of the beta cells have been killed. If scientists can keep the body from killing beta cells and induce replication before the cells are all gone, it is possible that the patient may regain the ability to produce insulin.

Douglas Melton began his lecture with the words, “I wasn’t certain I could do science.” He has clearly proven that not only can he do science, but he can also make a difference and inspire hope in the lives of millions of people.

A Message of Hope Through a New Lens

They were all dressed alike; they swayed from side to side, and sang like angels to Michael Jackson’s “Man in the Mirror”. The crowd gave a standing ovation, some in tears, some feeling inspired, and others in awe at the awesome talent just displayed. Ron Clark makes his way back onto the stage and gives his final remarks, “The only way to end discrimination is to lift up our kids. If you don’t learn anything else from today, I hope you take that”. As the keynote speaker for the 25th Annual Holmes/ Hunter Lecture on Friday at the Hugh Hodgson Concert Hall, Ron Clark followed in the ranks of people like Jesse L. Jackson, Vernon Jordan, and Nikki Giovanni, who have been selected to give this lecture in honor of Hamilton E. Holmes and Charlayne Hunter-Gault, the first two African American students to enroll at the University of Georgia. The Holmes/Hunter Lecture series is given by a distinguished scholar or public figure and focuses on race relations, aspects of higher education with implications for race relations or black history. For Ron Clark, being chosen to give the lecture was a humbling experience, “I don’t feel like I’m worthy of being here” he said to an audience of about 200 people who filled the bottom level of the hall and overflowed into the balcony. During the lecture, Clark focused more on his students than himself and his own accomplishments. As he spoke, he jumped and ran about the stage as audience members laughed and shouted “yes” at points he made throughout his speech. In the front rows were a group of his students, dressed in khaki pants, blue button down shirts with ties, and blue sweaters. Often during the lecture he would acknowledge them by name to tell of their accomplishments to the audience.
To the center of the stage he brought out two projects, one a blue tri-fold board with few pictures and writing. He asked the audience, “What grade would you give this?” Audience yelled out answers that ranged from 50 to 100. “I gave this a 27” he responded.”We are not being realistic with our kids. We can’t accept trash”. He then brings to center stage a pyramid heavily decorated with Egyptian designs. Then he pulled down the flaps of the pyramid and the audience gasped in amazement at the detailed artifacts that were displayed inside. The project that was designed to follow a timeline of Egyptian history was made by one of his students who put together each artifact from objects within her house. “When you have high expectations, you get high results”. Clark said as he brought the young girl to the stage and proudly stood behind her as the crowd applauded. It was this intense passion and intense energy that spilled all from one fair-skinned, tall, lanky man from the Deep South.
“I never thought I would be a teacher” Clark said. It was there that he began telling the audience of his journey to the Ron Clark Academy. Clark, known as “America’s Educator”, is the 2000 Disney American Teacher of the Year, a New York Times bestselling author, the subject of a television movie and the founder of The Ron Clark Academy in Atlanta, Georgia. Clark first caught America’s eye as the teacher in Harlem who helped turn low achieving students into high excelling students by the end of the year. As Clark spoke of why he packed up and moved from North Carolina to Harlem, he said, “If you feel something in your heart, just go for it”. It was in Harlem that other teachers laughed at him and his methods, and he was told that he would never change the students. But it was to this Clark said, “In life people are always trying to tell you, you can’t do it.” He fought these negative notions when he came to Atlanta and turned a 100 year old factory into a school that is protected by the community. The rest is history. “I don’t wanna be old and look back and have regrets” Clark said. And it is with this notion Clark has changed the hearts and minds of those he comes in contact with.
Lines of students, teachers, and parents lined up after the lecture to take pictures and have Clark sign his autograph in books or pieces of paper. One eager student in line, Jenna Causey beamed from ear to ear, “I’m pretty sure I want to be an educator after being here”. For twenty five years there have been speakers who have sparked hope in others through their lectures and it was on Friday, Ron Clark, took a deserving place in this list.

President Adams Becomes Slide Certified.

by Melanie Turner 

At the University of Georgia’s Twenty-Fifth Annual Holmes/Hunter Lecture held in Hodgson Hall, President Michael Adams’ Assistant Matthew Winston announced during the closing that the University’s President decided on February 25 to create a longstanding partnership with The Ron Clark Academy by founding a renewable scholarship available each academic year to one student.

The announcement, made after about 30 of Clark’s students performed their song “Man in the Mirror”, received a standing ovation from the crowd that filled the bottom level and some of the top level of the hall. The crowd composed of about 30 educators along with students from the university and surrounding public schools whooped and cheered for the 5^th through 8^th graders, who’s test scores on average ranked higher than that of students four years older. This energy only mirrored Ron Clark’s as he waved his arms and bounced around the stage giddy from excitement of describing how he had taught his students to overcome adversity.

The 2000 Disney Teacher of the Year recipient followed in step with the theme of the day, which was created 25 years ago to honor Dr. Hamilton Holmes and Charlayne Hunter-Gault for their determination to receive an education at the newly integrated University of Georgia in 1961. Clark described with his southern proper accent how he has pushed his minority students to break racial barriers put on them and their education.

The blonde haired, fair skinned man in a pink tie recounted how he did not let being the only male teacher or person of his race deter him from seeking the job at a school in Harlem and pushing his students there to succeed. The lack of hope the students had for education’s impact on their futures inspired him to raise funds to take the students from Harlem to South Africa in order that they might gain a more global perspective on poverty and racism.

Before the students left, Clark assigned them to read Nelson Mandela’s book “Long Walk to Freedom” so that they might more deeply understanding the race struggle not only in America but also around the world. While touring a small museum one of their last days in South Africa, several black cars pulled up outside the building. When the students glanced outside through the windows and realized that the tall, stately, man in his 80’s walking towards the entrance was the civil rights leader they had grown to respect, many started crying and shaking from the immense honor they felt towards him.

Clark also broke down barriers when renovation on the old factory designated for becoming The Ron Clark Academy began in the South Atlanta neighborhood. After a series of break-ins, Clark decided to get the neighborhood on his side by walking to every door meeting the people in four months, armed only with a backpack, his book “The 55 Essentials” and his energy for students. The response, the neighborhood is now a fortress around the school and the school has not been vandalized since.

With 22 percent of the students at The Ron Clark Academy coming from minority backgrounds, Clark celebrates these differences. He has constantly stressed to students to be proud of their heritage. As Oprah’s “Phenomenal Man”, Clark once a year has the new students perform DNA tests to locate what tribe or clan they are originally descended from. Then, the school holds an assembly, calling each up on stage to announce and praise their heritage. “You must understand your race and other races to become a global leader,” Clark said about the school’s intentional approach towards not just focusing on American history but deeply exploring other cultures.

This attitude towards racial differences can be seen in how the students and faculty recently handled the racism that appeared when a video of their song “You Can Vote However You Like” appeared on Youtube. Coupled with thousands of encouraging comments about the video were thousands of others containing derogatory and cutting remarks about the students. When the students began to report that they had read some of these remarks, the school held an assembly to not only counsel the students through the situation but to decide whether to have Youtube remove the video or not. When given the power to make the decision, students turned to Dr. Martin Luther King’s strength for inspiration, citing that even when people cursed at and threw things at him during marches, he still held his head high and marched on. They decided to leave the video up because they were proud of the work they had done to learn the material and wanted the world to see what they could do.

And did the world see. After the video, the school received numerous visits from the media and celebrities including CNN, rapper T.I., UGA’s president Adams and World News Tonight named the students their Persons of the Week. Somewhere between witnessing the passion the Academy’s teachers have for the students and becoming according to Winston “Slide Certified” by zipping down the giant blue slide into the lobby with students, President Adams and Matthew Winston decided that UGA and The Ron Clark Academy needed to unite under their common ideals for education. During the drive back, past the farms along rural GA-316 to Athens, Adams and Winston discussed how to make this a reality. That one day, one of the students from the Academy would also drive past the same pastures on the way to the University and call it their own. 

Renown Sound Artist Visits Alma Mater

By Rebecca Gentry

A red carpet lined with gold markings lead to the stage. There were two chairs, a stool, and a podium in front of a gigantic painting of a cathedral. The audience mumbled quietly with excitement and curiosity while waiting for the speaker to take the stage in a filled room at the University of Georgia Chapel at 4 p.m. on Thursday. The track lights unexpectedly glared onto the stage and the audience was silenced.

Dr. Hugh Ruppersberg, the Senior Associate Dean of Franklin College of Arts and Sciences walked to the podium to introduce the speaker. Fred Newman, a well-known sound artist and University of Georgia alum, then took the stage after great anticipation. He immediately began his presentation using sound effects and body movements which brought an uproar of laughter and applause from the crowd. “Do you believe a grown man does this for a living,” Newman asked the audience as he finished his last sound effect and began his speech.

Fred Newman, a LaGrange native, graduated from the University of Georgia in 1974 with a bachelor’s degree in economics and later earned an MBA at Harvard. As he recalled his years at the University of Georgia, he explained the vast differences of the atmosphere from then to now. Newman remembered the university as “tight fixed”. However on his visit to the university from February 22-25 as a Willson Center for Humanities and Arts Visiting Artist, he realized how much has changed. “It is back to being a child, there’s a sense of wonder and play,” said Newman as he described the sense of a new-found creativity. The audience then applauded as Newman asked them to honor this university and its faculty and students.

Newman is known for his work on the NPR radio show “Prairie Home Companion” as well as shows such as “Doug” and “Between the Lions”, for which he won two Emmys. As he related personal stories, he punctuated them with sounds such as a gargling water, barking dogs, and helicopter noises that caused the crowd to laugh hysterically. He continued to delight the audience as he used the voice of a small baby to explain how he loves to collect voices.

He learned to listen and imitate sounds as he sat under an oak tree with his uncle. His uncle sat him on his lap and told him to be quiet and just listen. Newman noticed that the winds and the whistling of the trees were all different. He then learned that “everyday you gotta listen, gotta stop.”

When it came time for questions, several audience members raised their hands, eager to request a sound effect. One lady asked for a demonstration of a helicopter. Newman laughed and explained, “you do this by inhaling, pucker lips, and then flutter behind it.” Another audience member requested a steam engine which Newman was pleased to exhibit but added that the best way to create these sounds was to shake a box of cans to get the extra metal effect. He then placed his hand over his mouth, moved close to the microphone and began to blow in and out. He then whistled to represent the steam blowing from the engine. Again, the crowd clapped in amazement at his artistic gift.

After many demonstrations of sound effects, Newman moved to a more serious note. He explained that the best corporations in America are investing 20 percent of profits in research and development. “They are willing to take a walk without knowing the destination.” He said that everyday he does something without knowing the results and that is crucial to discovering news ways of creating sound effects.

While he explained the various influences in his life, Newman mentioned a former professor, Dr. Bill Hale. Newman recounted that Hale said “the greatest gift you can give someone is your presence.” He explained how much of an impact those few simple words had on his career. Suddenly, emotions soared as Newman realized that Dr. Bill Hale was sitting in the audience.

Newman received roaring applause at the end of his speech. There was a rush to be the first person to shake Newman’s hand, take pictures and speak with him, hopeful to learn more of his secrets.

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